Vintage sewing lust

Shift dresses without good waist definition just aren't my thing and mr man doesn't wear suits. But Caroline's sweet little piped dress is banging. It wouldn't be a difficult look to recreate either. A basic yoke pattern with a couple deep pleats in the bodice, a peter pan collar, and a good strong piping and you're all set.

Look at little Jack jr's delicious wittle baby legs. Don't you just want to pinch them a little? I recently picked up a similar pattern for pudding in anticipation of Christmas. Looks like it will be put to good use if I keep coming across nifty ideas to use it.

I really adore Michie's patterns. They come on nice heavy white paper and all the pieces are straight forward and easy to trace. They also come in a wide size range in one envelope so you can take one classic look and with easy adjustments, stretch it from infancy to toddlerhood in a variety of ways. It never made it to the blog but pudding's Easter outfit last year was a Creations by Michie pattern, #105, the sailor bubble. You couldn't ask for an easier pattern to put together. It's totally not Michie's fault I ran over my finger with the sewing machine needle. It's what I get for procrastinating to the point where I was putting together that bad boy at 3 am Easter morning.

I also relied upon Michie for pudding's St Patrick's day outfit which if I recall correctly did not debut on the holiday itself but the weekend after. I used #120 Sunsuit/Dress. The main fabric is a soft seersucker from Hancock's because Joann's seersucker feels like upholstery fabric. The round yoke was cut from a muslin sateen and embroidered with a Celtic knotwork J in green perle cotton which is apparently girly and impossible to read judging by the comments I got.

As usually happens here, I've strayed from my topic but I had to take a moment to share some Michie love. A quick search on google will show all the ways people use this pattern. I especially love her because the heirloom sewing world is awash in all types of pretty for little girls. Michie makes it a point to design for boys. If it wasn't for her patterns, I don't know that I'd sew much for baby pudding.

I Dreamed a Dream

Red Sateen Party Dress
from Blue Velvet Vintage

Once upon a time, on a far off blog called Male Pattern Boldness, someone did a lovely post pondering the merits of the shelf bust. And what is the shelf bust? Well, I'd tell you but Peter did a much better job than I ever could of answering that question, complete with pictures to boot so why don't you take a quick peek over there and then come right back.

Are you done yet?

Yes, he sews and he does a wonderful job of it too. Stop gaping at Cathy's fantastic legs and come back here so we can talk about Butterick's latest pattern release.

So anyway, the shelf bust. I fell in love with that look the minute I saw it on MPB and just had to own one. Fortunately, for mr man's wallet, I've not been able to find on etsy for a price I was willing to pay or rather I couldn't justify it in the light of all my other fabric/pattern wants and wishes. But it seems Gertie of Blog for Better Sewing fame, heard my cry and convinced Butterick to release this little wonder.

5882: Gertie's shelf bust dress

I have no words for how exciting this is to me so I'll let Jonah Hill express glee on my behalf.

The other new offerings aren't too shabby, including this cute little shorts and shirt pattern, also by Gertie.

5895 Vintage top and pants

This sweet little knit dress,

5885: Maggie London knit dress

And these two Victorian antebellum reproduction for little miss ma'am's current throwback obsession. I'm still working on the stays for our Austen era dresses. I might get hives if I have to contemplate a corset. Okay, not really. I'm loving working on the Davenport ensembles. It's simply taking a bit of work to have it come out the right way. Eventually, I'd love to put that kind of time into a few different eras, primarily Federal and yes, Antebellum.

5901: Children's Antebellum underthings

5900: Child's Antebellum dress

So in conclusion, I'll be making a mad dash for Joann's as soon as I hear the glorious sound of a Butterick sale.

Squee!

Give an inch

and this hot mess girl child of mine wants a damned mile.

I was sitting here working on her damned stays when this little blond thing pops out of her room and sidles up to my shoulder.

"Mommy, will you make this for me?"

"Which part?" I ask.

"All of it," came the dreaded reply. "It's so preeeeeeeeeeetty!"

Ugh.

She better be grateful I love her. Do you think it would cute in flannel for a winter dress? Who am I kidding? I bought the pattern for a reason (for $1 off some craigslist, former Hancock's employee, fabric hoader.) So yeah, I'll totally make it. But first . . . have I mentioned my etsy addiction?

Because I totally have an etsy addiction. I've been working hard to resist temptation but when one comes across mother-daughter cobbler apron patterns???

Via Maryworld

via Platypus Dream

So yeah, totally done. I did manage to resist the urge to "make it worth the shipping" and browse through the rest of each shop's offerings. But what shall I make in? I prefer Connecting Threads for apron sewing because the stuff is thick and plush and yet not expensive but nothing is standing out for me. The pinks are quite abysmal and I see nothing in aqua that inspires me.

Red and white maybe?

What do you think?

Because I don't have enough to do

The Crossover Blazer

by Burda Style

Check out Banyan Tree's version.

I can see it in a navy blue wool with an ivory lining, gold buttons and maybe even epaulets. Let's just hope it won't give me a dogged determination to pursue ex-convicts who are merely trying to make something good of themselves.

Do you think I'm crazy?

Vogue does. Vogue thinks we're all off our rockers apparently, going slightly mad maybe, knitting with only one needle, a sandwich short of a picnic, something.

They're coming to take me away, hee hee!

The Winter Collection was released today and this is one of their new patterns, Vogue 1335. I think I might have to pass. My children might make me insane but that doesn't mean I have to dress like it. 

This one, 1329 however, is pretty cute, if simple. The rest you can see here, nothing particularly exciting, imo, which is probably a good thing considering I am up to my eyeballs in patterns and no real output lately to justify new purchases.

If I had a million dollars

I'd still be broker than a joke. 

Woodland Farms Antiques is one of my favorite places to browse and buy vintage patterns. Don't be fooled by your first glance. Yes, she sells gorgeous vintage items but she's also sitting on a HUGE selection of reasonably prices patterns starting in the Victorian era all the way up to the 80's which, uhm, kill me now that the 80s are considered vintage by some. In the past, I found the site a bit clunky to navigate. The shopping cart system she was working with didn't save pictures so I'd load it up, forget what I placed there and then have to go back and flip through to decide what I really wanted.

However, I received an email recently that suggested new changes. And since a shiny little coupon code was dangled before my sew greedy little eyes, I hustled my behind right over to give it a look see.

It's a Hooverette, people!!

Long story short, I recently lost a silent auction on a made up version of this pattern crafted by the lovely Anna over at Pleasant View Schoolhouse. Her is a beautiful apple green polka dot version that looks ever so sweet and modern and every day wearable. Betcha couldn't tell that from the pattern, now could you? Skip on over here to see it in action. What did I tell you? Cuuuuuuuute! While you're visiting, make sure you check out her post on turning dresses into aprons here. I have a few cute dresses that will never again fit my behind that could do with this treatment.

I also fell in love with this very adorable WWII era pattern that calls to mind Cate Blanchett in Charlotte Gray,

Or Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller in Edge of Love.

As I really don't need to two patterns I'm buying anyway, I had to leave all the other pretties behind. But if you like, you can snatch up a few at 30% off with the code FALLSALE.

Might I suggest a few?

Anne Adams #4932

Hollywood #524

Advance #8878

Advance #6470

Why doesn't anyone tell me these things??

Have you ever heard of Style Arc??

Good so I'm not the only one.

Well here you are. I've not even ordered yet and already, I can sense this will be the beginning of a beaaaaaaaaaaautiful friendship.

So tell me, what should I spend my birthday money on? Yes, I said birthday money. My mommy in love (a typo I'm keeping) always sends me a little something something and a card every year. I know I don't need more patterns but isn't that the point of birthday money, buying something you don't need? Are there enough questions in this post? Why is the sky blue? How long will it take me to go insane with my kids home all day? Where do rainbows end? Where the hell is that little leprechan douche with my pot of gold?

I digress and so easily as always. So back to the point. Which one!

Olivia Dress

Anna Dress

Katharine Blouse

Amy

Ronnie

There are soooooooo many to choose from. Granted, the dresses are probably out as I won't be able to wear them until next year with a kid attached to the sisters fairly often. Ronnie would be the prefect fall top to address that latter issue but I was hoping to sew something up sooner. I'm really feeling the Katharine blouse I think.

Of course, I could just go for the two patterns that have my name written all over them, quite literally actually.

Samantha Top

Samantha Skirt

I get the feeling any pattern I order will end up sewn quite often, especially if I go for a top. I need more basics in my life, especially of the casual shirt variety.

As a bonus, if I get my heinie in gear and order before the end of the month, I get a bonus pattern.

It's like they knew it was my birthday! Speaking of random acknowledgement of my awesome, I went to a pool party in honor of the lovely miss Peyton, an adorable wee bit of nearly seven cuteness whom I teach in my night class at church and there was a banner outside of the community center that said, Happy Birthday, Samantha!

I choose to believe they were talking to me.